New Zealand women clinched a nerve-wracking thriller at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch by one wicket to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Pakistan on Friday, December 15. The match went right down to the wire after the hosts suffered a collapse but significant contributions from the lower order helped them get over the line by the barest of margins.
Chasing a mediocre total of 221 to win, the White Ferns looked in a spot of bother as they were reduced to 13/2 with Amelia Kerr and skipper Sophie Devine back in the hutch. However, a century stand between former captain Suzie Bates and Maddy Green snatched the momentum from Pakistan's corner and put the home team in the driver's seat.
Leg-break bowler Ghulam Fatima provided the visitors with the much-needed breakthrough when she got rid of Bates in the 32nd over. The 28-year-old leggie dented the White Ferns again in the 36th over when she removed Green to throw the game wide open.
A batting collapse of a major scale saw the Sophie Devine-led side go from 155/3 to 198/8. With Pakistan bowlers having their tails up, New Zealand needed their bowlers to step up with the willow in hand and Lea Tahuhu and company did the same.
Tahuhu (21* off 26 balls) batted sensibly and helped her side get over the line in the penultimate over of the game.
Earlier in the day, stand-in skipper Fatima Sana dazzled with the bat in hand and played arguably the greatest knock (90* off 104 balls) of her ODI career to script a rescue act of the highest order. Her valiant knock propelled Pakistan to 220 with useful contributions coming from Natalia Pervaiz (39 off 73 balls) and Najiha Alvi (32 off 38 balls).
Meanwhile, the third ODI of the series will be played on Monday, December 18 at the same venue.
